Setting aside a few dollars here and there used to be as simple as dropping a few coins in a piggy bank. Today, the consumer can't help but pig out when it comes to spending too much on food, drinks, vacations, clothing or any number of impulse buys. To make matters worse, those who indulge on those aforementioned perks don't necessarily have the extra cash lying around thus making this income hardly disposable. That's when it's time to send this “pig” out to be slaughtered in the form of maxed out credit cards, little or no money saved and a credit score that probably could be confused with a really good IQ. Only trouble is, you're not thinking too clearly about saving money and making sound, prudent financial decisions. Easily the biggest pratfall of overspending and not being able to save money is buying items you desperately want but simply cannot afford. A good rule of thumb is if you can't pay cash for something, then you probably shouldn't buy it to begin with – no matter what the product is or how badly you'd like to have it. Credit cards are for emergencies, not to update a wardrobe, shop for groceries or buying a slew of Christmas gifts. Credit cards certainly are marketed extremely well, with no interest offers for a certain number of years or balance transfers that seem to good to be true. Frankly, they usually are. Only use a credit card if you plan on paying it off in one, preferably, payment or no more than 2-3. This especially holds true for department store credit cards that carry interest rates that hover around 30%. That incredible outfit that costs you $100 may very well end up being more like a $1,000 by the time the minimum payment bug bites for good. And speaking of payments, that paycheck you get every other Friday is chalked full of opportunity in the form of contributing money to your company's 401K or Simple IRA, not to mention taking advantage of other pre-tax benefits. More often than not, you're inclined to put aside a few bucks each payday to a savings account. That isn't a bad practice but that money would do wonders as far as a 401K contribution, since savings accounts and CDs from the bank don't carry the kind of swagger they once did. The money you put forth into a 401K typically is matched by your employer and it is always a best practice to invest as much as you can from your paycheck, even if that means forgoing a few movies, dinners or dresses in the process. If your company also offers the option to join the credit union, do it. That is a great place to pitch in $20 per pay and then simply forget about it. Before you know it, you have a few thousand bucks lying around for that proverbial rainy day. Aside from hard and fast financial fodder to save money, little things go a long way, too: go out to eat less, buy items in bulk or simply monitor your home energy costs a little closer. The hardest part of saving money is starting from scratch. If you're accustomed to spending what you have in grandiose fashion, then the thought of ditching the dynamic lifestyle may seem difficult. But staying on an overspending course could instead lead to a life filled with financial roadblocks.